Mindfulness Journal - April 28, 2021 - Day 30 of 365 Today’s meditation was fascinating in that I was very aware that I was feeling anger and anxiety, but I was unsure why. When I have anxiety, it washes over me in waves and builds, wave-upon-wave, until I can feel it crashing down over me. It’s suffocating and uncomfortable. I haven’t yet figured out how to let this cloud of anxiety and anger pass. I can’t see the blue sky when this wave hits.
I was listening to an audiobook today, and the author said something that I think is related to my troubles today. He stated that he finds most troubling two types of anxiety: worry, anxiety about the future, and regret, anxiety about the past. These are the things I most frequently find myself getting anxious about - the future and the past. Unfortunately, these anxieties prohibit me from focusing on the one thing I can control and shape, the present.
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16
Gratitude Journal - April 28, 2021 Today, I am grateful for having started this gratitude journal and making a part of my day. Today, I’m not feeling very grateful. I feel beaten and worn down. But, having this gratitude journal forces me each day to reevaluate the things in my life that I have for which I should be grateful. Today, this helped me reset a bit - not totally, I still feel a little down - but this process at least allowed me the opportunity to see that not all things are bad and that I do have things in my life to be grateful for. For this, I am grateful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 27, 2021 - Day 29 of 365 One of the things I started thinking about recently was how mindfulness and meditation work with Christian beliefs and values. Thankfully, they seem to work well together. You don’t have to be a Buddhist to practice mindfulness successfully. Further, you can certainly use the time spent in meditation and introspection to strengthen your spiritual relationship with God. Being true to who you are, or knowing your true nature, is a critical tenant of Buddhism. From my perspective, this includes room for being a Christian and knowing Christ. I don’t see any need to change my faith or modify my beliefs to allow for mindfulness in my life; there is no conflict. I think my mindfulness practice brings me closer to God and helps me find a more intimate place to meet Him.
“May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.” Psalms 104:34
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
“May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.” Proverbs 5:18-19
Gratitude Journal - April 27, 2021 Today, I am grateful for having the time each day to stop, be aware of what is going on, and take inventory of what I am doing. This awareness allows me the opportunity to make better decisions, lower my stress levels, and reduce my overall anxiety. For this, I am grateful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 26, 2021 - Day 28 of 365 Today’s meditation focused on trying to carry your mindfulness practice on to the rest of the day. Being mindful throughout the day, paying attention to what you are doing when you are doing it, and focusing on being present all provide opportunities to improve your daily life. Being fully present all the time is no easy task. I think we’ve all become so accustomed to simply doing without thinking that breaking that habit and putting thought into each action is a challenge. Mindfulness requires that we are not mindlessly doing things and that we are aware of what and why we are doing something.
“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.” Psalms 125:1-2
Gratitude Journal - April 26, 2021 Today, I am grateful for the instant communication tools that I have available to me. Connecting with co-workers, friends, and family at a moment’s notice is a unique and wonderful advancement. For all of these valuable tools, I am grateful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 25, 2021 - Day 27 of 365 Today’s meditation focused on the concept that there is not a right or wrong way to meditate. This idea is essential to me because I often try to find the “best” or “correct” way to complete tasks. To some extent, I think this tendency is an outcropping of a desire to procrastinate and delay the completion of jobs.
Procrastination most often occurs when I am unsure or uncomfortable with what needs to get done. Things like building a deck or finishing a basement fall into this category, but I think meditation also fits this picture. The Meditative practice is individual and unique to each person. There is no one way to be successful in this journey. Instead of focusing on this as a challenge in the path, I will use this as a motivation - that no matter what I do, as long as I keep moving forward, I will be successful.
Today was a good day.
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”” Revelation 7:9-10
Gratitude Journal - April 25, 2021 Today, I am grateful for all of the opportunities I have been given in my life. I know I am very blessed to have lived the wonderful life I have to this point. I work every day to make sure I deserve all I have been given. For each and every opportunity I have been given in life, I am grateful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 24, 2021 - Day 26 of 365
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:14-16
Gratitude Journal - April 24, 2021 Today, I am grateful for my Saturday morning men’s bible study. Having a weekly opportunity to meet with positive and thoughtful men is amazing. For this, I am grateful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 23, 2021 - Day 25 of 365 The true purpose of mindfulness practice is not simply finding time to meditate each day but instead bringing the concepts of mindfulness into the rest of your day. Success in mindfulness means being more present and more aware of what you are thinking, feeling, and doing all the time, not just during the first 20 minutes of your day. I’ll admit, this is a challenge for me. I often treat this journey as a checkbox. I focus on getting it done rather than a meaningful process. I need to bring these concepts into the rest of my life. My goal for today and the weekend is to find moments each day where I reset and make sure that I am aware of what I am doing and why I am doing it. I will find opportunities to check in with myself and make sure I am present in my actions and feelings.
“The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.” Exodus 15:3
Gratitude Journal - April 23, 2021 Today, I am grateful for the warriors that go to battle everyday to keep our nation safe. Those who dedicate their lives to the service of our country need to be appreciated daily. For the members of our military, past and present, I am thankful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 22, 2021 - Day 24 of 365
“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.” Matthew 10:24
